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Efforts pay off in adventures
CONSULTING mining engineer and gemologist Ronald B. Stokes is a man of many talents who sets goals, works toward them, and reaches them.
Sure, life has thrown him a curve now and then, but he always gets back on track, and never gives up.
"I am persistent in the application of effort," declares Stokes. Having travelled in 82 countries for work and play, Stokes is a man who can, and does, wear many hats with ease and perfection. His many specialties - ballroom dance partner, movie maker, cook, and gemologist - are all part of this globe-trotting, friendly man. His advice to others: "Don't go through life doing things you don't like."
Stokes was born at Lincolnshire, England on April 28, 1928, and educated at Cornwall, London, and Essex.
At age 18, Stokes was called into the British Army and made an artillery officer by the age of 20. He was the supervisor of more than 65 men including five sergeants and finished up as a radar specialist. He received a grant of 214 pounds per year, and spent it on accommodations and books. After the army, Stokes attended the Camborne School of Mines at Cornwall, where he studied engineering for three years, and graduated in 1952 as a mining engineer.
Before and during those three years, he worked in the Tin Mines and on the big drill rigs.
In the fall of 1952, Stokes went to Australia for 21/2years with a company looking for huge lead and zinc deposits.
It was during this first trip to Australia while living in a tent that he studied gemology and became a qualified gemologist.
In June of 1955 Stokes arrived in Vancouver to consider 10 different job offers in mining, all in Northern British Columbia.
His speciality is placer mining gems and gold. He has travelled around the world looking at gem mines, such as the Muzo Emerald Mines in Colombia where he went three times; by mule back in 1957, and his last trip by a convoy of jeeps.
Reflecting upon his life, Stokes says: "One of my life's highlights was my trip up the Amazon." In December 1957, Stokes went on a six-month expedition to the Amazon with Brian J. Pejovic, his friend and fellow gemologist and mineralogist. Their 15,000-mile journey through 16 Latin American countries, including a 2,000 mile trip up the Amazon via boat, ended in Rio de Janeiro with a press conference in the Canadian Embassy.
"We travelled in a number of ways on our journey, including mule, dugout canoe, local bus and plain ordinary walking," recalls Stokes.
Stokes continues: "Crossing from Trinidad to British Guiana, we had some of our most exciting experiences among the river diamond divers. To reach the 741-foot Kaieteur Falls, we travelled up river for seven days, finally by dugout. When the falls and rapids made boating too hazardous, we portaged on foot, sometimes at night."
In the jungle, insects plagued them. Spiders as large as a man's hand fell on their hammocks. "One night I was bitten by swarms of marching ants," recalls Stokes.
The two gemologists travelled to Colombia and by mule back into the mountains to the mines; while there, a new pocket of emeralds was discovered. They were the first to make movies of these emerald mines. The first movie made during their travels is called Opal & Gem of the Never Never. His second colour movie is Opals in Australia, and he is currently doing his third: Jade in B.C.
Life evolved and back in Vancouver, Stokes joined an engineering company building the Cheakumus Dam on Daisy Lake. The work area was in deep bush with no roads. He worked there for that fall and winter and quit. His next job offer was for $600 per month in the Highland Valley out of Merritt, B.C. where he worked for the next 11/2years.
Stokes explains: "I was age 34 at the time and fell in love with Edwinda Wade, from England. We were married at Christ Church Cathedral in Vancouver, and spent our honeymoon in Hope, on the Princeton Highway. We were going to Merritt where I was working in the Highland Valley."
Later, the Stokes lived on Point Grey Road in Vancouver, on a double lot on the cliff looking over the water.
Stokes has travelled around the world with tour groups. He designs the tours, finds the travellers, then arranges with agents to do the bookings and collect the money involved. A few of them include trips to Madagascar, Central Africa, Liberia, South America, Cuba, and 3,000 miles up the Amazon by boat. He has worked on 34 cruises with various cruise lines as a gentleman host, ballroom dancing partner, as well gem-stone lecturer. Stokes has also organized and conducted gem tours: three to Australia to dig for gems like opals and sapphires; two to Thailand for sapphires and rubies, and one to North Vietnam to look for rubies and mines.
Being an experienced diver, Stokes has gone on dives in the Pacific Islands for the Vancouver Aquarium to collect specimens for their tropical collection display. He also dived in Australia, Europe and the Caribbean. Stokes has now lived on the North Shore for 35 years, currently in West Vancouver. He has one son, two daughters, and two grandchildren, and has a daily rapport with his ex-wife who he cares for deeply.
Anywhere on the water or up a mountain are some of his favourite places, such as the coast of New South Wales, halfway between Brisbane and Sydney at Coffs' Harbour or Port McQuarrie, and the Pacific Coast of Costa Rica.
He has lectured for 25 years with the Chamber of Mines. Some of his photography has been accepted by the American National Geographic Society. He is also an excellent cook and has published some recipes in a cookbook called Men For All Seasonings by Barbara Partridge, featuring Vancouver's bachelors and their favourite recipes. Some of his recipes are: Fish Head Bouillabaisse, Cornish Pasties, and Jimmy Tortoise.
He also enjoys watching the stars from a desert and from mountain tops. He is very artistic when it comes to designing Japanese rock structures and Japanese flower arranging. He has placed Stokes' Resting Rocks, a Japanese rock arrangement, around the gardens at the waterfront end of 24th Street in West Vancouver, including a "lucky" rock for people to touch for good luck.
There is a trail in West Vancouver called the Stokes' Gem Trail, at 28th Street and Marine Drive. Stokes won the right to name the trail in West Vancouver. On the opening day, 50 treasures were hidden along the trail, some of which are still there as they were never found.
"My personal milestones are my marriage and children, my time and training in the British Army, and the Amazon expedition with my friend and colleague," declares Stokes.
Being the unique, precious gem of a person that he is, Stokes enjoys life, being single, and is looking forward to the future, and to celebrating his upcoming 76th birthday on April 28.
All the best Ron.
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